Automatic sheet-metal-rolling mill



No. 608,287. Patented Aug. 2, |898. J. s. nonGsoN.

AUTOMATIC SHEET METAL ROLLING MILL.

- (Application led Lug. 2, 1897.)

' (No Model.)

n1: :mums Psrzns cq, PHoTuLlmo.. WASHINGTON. n. c

No. 608,287. Pat-ented Aug. 2, |893.

J. o. Hooosou.

AUTOMATIC SHEET METAL ROLLING MILL.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1897.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

rNs Nomos Penas c u. Pummumo., wAsmNcmN. mc.

'Y No. 608,287. Patented Aug. 2, |398.

.L G. Hansson. AUTOMATIC SHEET HET-AL BULLING MILL.

(Application med Aug. 2, 1897.)

(no Model.) 5 snwssneex 3.

Zag 3 ,fill/enfor:

Yu: Norms refus co. mvo-urne.. wnumnron. n. c,

' Patented Aug. 2, |898. J. a. Hansson. UTUMATIC SHEET METAL ROLLING MILL.

(Application led Aug'. 2, 1897.)

1n: cams #trans co, mora-umm wAsmNaToN, uA c.

.1. G. HoDGsoN.

AUTOMATIC SHEET METAL ROLLING MILL.

Patented Aug. 2, |898.

(Appnmion fixed mg. 2, 1897.)

(No Model.)

w c@ I UNITED 4STATES PATENT OFI-ICH JOHN o.. I-IoDesoN, or MAYwOoD, ILLINOIS, .AssIeNOR To THE NORTON f BROS., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC SHEET-METAL-ROLLING lVllLL.

SPECIFICATION formngpart of Letters Patent No. 608,287, dated August 2, 1898.

Application le. August 2,1897. Serial No. 646,745. (No model.)

' Inills.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic sheet-metal-rolling mill of'a simple, efficient, and durable construction by means of which bars, sheets, or packs of sheets may be automatically passed rapidly and successively back and forth between therolls for a predetermined number of passes and the rolls automatically set closer and closer together by a continually-diminishing increment after each successive pass andthe rolls or their feed-screws automatically returned to position for repeating the operation on an-l other set or series of bars or sheets after the predetermined number of passes have been made upon the first set or series of bars or sheets.

Vith this object in view Iny invention consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of partsand devices herein shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, ,Figure lv is a sidev elevation of a machine or rolling-mill em-vv bodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. l, showing the mill in end elevation. -Fig. 4

is an enlarged detail side elevation of the Same. Fig. 1I is a detail view of the gageplates for use in setting or adjusting the feed- Fig. 10 is an 'end view of the' screws for rolling bars or sheets to any required limit orA gage. 4In the drawings like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

In said drawings, A is the frame of the machine or mill.

vBB' are the rolls, the Vlower one, B, being the driven one.

C C are roller feed-tables, one on each side of the rolls B 'BQ The direction of rotation of the rolls C C of the Ioller feed-tables is adapted to be changed or reversed with the .reversal of the direction of rotation of the rolls B B, and for this purpose the feed-table rolls C are preferably connected by suitable gearing directly/with the lower or driven one of the rolls B B'.

The feed-screws D, one at each end of the upper roll B', turn in suitable housings D' on the frame and press at their lower ends against the bearing B2 of the shaft B3 of the upper roll B.

The feed-screws D D are geared together, so as to both revolve in the same direction, by gears D? D2 through an intermediate gear D3.- Each of the gears D2 is connected to its feedscrew D through the medium of a worm-gear D4, which fits 'on the squared end D5 of the screw D, and which worm -gear engages a worm D6, journaled in brackets on the gear D2, so thatby turning the worm D6 by hand the screw D may be independently turned or adj ustedjn respect to the other screw, as may be required from time to time to compensate -for wear or to bring the rolls B B truly parallel to each other or to set the mill for rolling different gages of metal. Fis a power-driven pulley or shaft from which Inotion is communicated to the feedscrews at intervals or after each pass for the purpose vof turning the feed-screws down to set the rollsB B closer together after each pass by a diminishing increment through the connecting clutch F F2 and the involute gears H H and the mechanism for automatically operating the clutch at each reversal of the motion of the rolls B B'. Theclutch F F2 may bel of any suitable construction adapted to cause voir-permit an interval of connection between the shaft lflrandjt'he pulley F and then automatically disconnect the IOO two, one part F of the clutch being attached ing first operated the clutch-rod, so that the to or made integral with the pulley F and the other part F2 being connected to the shaft F, through which motion is communicated t0 one of the intergeared feed-screws D D. One of the members of the clutch F l'"- has a sliding bolt or pin f, actuated by a spring and adapted to be engaged by a wedge or trip f2 on the clutch-rod, and thus withdraw from the notch or recess in the opposing member of the clutch after the shaft F3 makes, say, a halfrevolution. One of the two involute gears Il is secured to or made integral with the gear D3 on one of the feed-screws andthe other involute gear ll is secured to an upright shaft F i, which has a bevel-gear F", that meshes with a bevel-gear F on the clutchshaft Fi, which connects through the clutch F F2 with the driving-pulley F, before mentioned. The bevel-gears F5 F are preferably so proportioned to each other that the shaft F4 will make one revolution to, say, every five revolutions of the shaft F3. This will give ten successive passes of the bars or sheets between the rolls at each heat, as the shaft F3 is arranged to make a half-revolution at each reversal of the mill, and owing to the involute form of the connecting-gears ll H the feed-screws D D will be turned or set down a continuously or successively diminishing increment or extent at each successive pass, and by simply removing the involute gears 1l Il from the mill and substituting other involute gears of: different relations to each other the extent of each successive reduction of the metal at each successive pass may be regulated as required.

To automatically operate the trip-elutch F F2 or its releasing-wedge 7E2 at each reversal of the motion of the mill, the shaft of the driven roll l is provided with an oscillating or friction arm or cam G, the same being frictionally secured t-o the shaft of the roll, so that the roll may continue to revolve after the cam or arm G has been oseillated to one side and its further motion arrested by striking against one or the other ofthe stops G' G, attached to the frame. rlhe clutch-operating friction-arm G will thus be oscillated at the very beginning of each reversal of the motion of the mill, so that the feed-screws D D will be automatically turned and the rolls set for the next pass before the feed-table enters the sheets or bars into the bite of the rolls l 3. The mechanisms employed for communicating motion from the friction caln or arm G to the clutch operating wedge f2 consist, preferably, of a reciprocating` slide g, having a pin or roller g engaging the friction-cam G, and which is provided at its upper end with a pawl or dog g2, that is adapted to engage a collar or projection y* on the clutchoperating rod gl. A spring g5 holds the pawl normally in position to engage said collar. A stationary cam g", engaging the free end of the pawl or dog g2, causes it to disengage said collar on the clutch-operating rod after havspring (/T 011 the clutch-rod may return it to position to again disengage the clutch after the shaft F"s has made one revolution. 'lo cause the shaft F3 to be disconnected from its driving-pulley F after a half-revolution, l duplicate the clutch-operating wedge f at the diametrieally opposite point ofthe clutch and connect this second wedge f2 with the clutch-operating rod g* by a connecting-lever gS and link gf.

After the mill has made its predetermined number or series of passes upon the bars or sheets to be reduced the feed-screws D D are automatically run back or returned to position for repeating the operation upon another set of bars or sheets by means of a bevel-gear DT, which is attached to or made integral with the gear D2 on one of the feed-screws, a-nd which bevel-gear DT meshes with the bevel-gear K on the shaft K, which is connected by a clutch K2 K3 with the driving'- pulley K, from which motion is derived for the purpose of turning the feed-screws back. The clutch K2 K"3 is similar to the clutch F F2, and its operating-wedge 7a and clutch-rod 7.1 are automatically operated after the rolling` is thus completed bya cam K5 on the gear l)2 engaging a lever K, from wh ich,through suitable connections KT KSK", motion is communicated to said clutch-rod 7a.

The movable gages or guides (Y2 2 at the opposite edges of each of the roller feed-tables are automatically operated to approach either after each pass of the bars or sheets between the rolls, and thus by grasping the bars or sheets at their side edges to automatically true or square up and center all the bars or sheets on the feed-table preparatory to their being again passed between the rolls, so that they will all enter the rolls smoothly and centrally with the rolls. After the bars and sheets are thus automatically adjusted properly in position on the feed-table the gages or guides again open or separate, and thus permit the bars vor sheets to be fed forward by the roller feed-table into the rolls without friction-contact with the gages. The gages or guides C C are thus automatically operated after each pass by an arm C22, frictionally secured tothe shaft ll of the driven rolls 13, similarly to the friction-cam G, and which is adapted to vibrate from one of the stops C Cl to the other at each reversal of the rolls, and which is connected to the siides C5 C, carrying the opening and closing gages C2 C, preferably by means of a link C C", pivoted to the friction cam or arm C22 and to a lever or arm C7, which is connected by a link Cs with a rack C, that meshes with a gear Cl" on a rock-shaft C, that is provided with a pair of lever-arms (Ll2 C1, connected bylinks C13 C and intermediate levers C with the gage-carrying slides C, so that at each movement of the friction cam or arm C22 the two gages CiJ C2 are lirst made to momentarily close or approach each other to eente and IOO ITO

mediate gears c.

square the bars or sheets on the feed-table and then at once to open or separate to permit the bars or sheets to be fed forward into the bite of the rolls without again touching the gages, which might otherwise tend to disarrange the bars or sheets on the table before entering the rolls.

The rollers C', comprising each of the roller feed-tables, are provided each with a gear c, and all the gears c of each section of the feedtable are geared together, so as to rotate all in the same direction,bymeans of the inter- Motion is communicated to one or more of the gears c'in each section of the feed-table from the driven roll B by means of a bevel-gear c2 on the shaft of said roll, which meshes with a gear c3 on a shaft c4, having a gear c5, meshing with a gear c6 on the counter-shaft c7, which communicates motion through the sprockets cs and chain e9 to the shaft 010, which has gears C11, meshingwith gears C42 on the shafts cl2, which are provided with gears c14, that mesh with gears c. By this means vthe feed-rollers C' are geared directly to the 'roll B, so that the motion of the feed-tables is reversed at each reversal of the rolls B B'.

To enable the mill to be run any desired number'of passes'vWi-thout turning the feedscrews D D or setting the rolls B B' closer together,v the cam or arm G may be fixed in its side position by inserting a pinthrough the cam Gr in the holesY Q42 942.

To provide the mill with means for readily setting 'or adjusting the feed-screws to any required thickness of metal or to any required distance of the rolls B B' apar-t when the feedscrew involute driving-gears are turned completely to the end of their stroke, two gage plates or disks P P' are provided to fit between the end of the feed-screw and the bearing of the upper roll, one of which is less in thickness than the other by the thickness of metal to which the bars, sheets, or packs are designed to be inished, so that in setting or adjusting the mill the thickergage-plate P may be inserted and the rolls then set down directly together, the screws being at this time turned down ready for returning, after which the thicker gage-plate is removed and thel thinner one, P', inserted in its place. This makes an easy and expeditious means for setting or adjusting the mill to any required thickness designed to be rolled. These gage plates, in connection with thefeedscrews, also serve as a ready means for readjusting or resetting the mill to compensate for wear.

S is the shaft-of the engine, from which the shaft B2 of the roll Bis driven through a loose or wabble coupling or shaft T and a connecting-shaft T'. 'Io enable the motion of the T2 T3', both loose'thereon, but either adapted to be clutched thereto by the friction-clutch T4 T5 T6. The gear S on the engine-shaft meshes with the gear T2 and drives the mill in one direction when said gear T2 is clutched to the shaft T', and the gear S3 meshes with the gear T3 and drives the mill in the opposite direction when said gear T3 is clutched to said shaft S', as the gear S3 on the countershaft S4 of course revolves in opposite direction from the gear S2 on the engine-shaft. The clutch member T4 slides on and is splined to the shaft T', so that it may be brought into engagement with either of the clutch members T5 T6, which are secured to or made integral with the gears T2 T2., respectively. This makes a convenient and ready means of reversing-the mill. The clutchT4 T5 T6 is preferably a friction-clutch, but it may be of any suitable construction.

By simply increasing or diminishing the number of the clutch trips or wedges f2 the number of passes required to turn the involute feed-screw-turnin g gears II H' to the end of their stroke may be diminished or increased, according to the number of passes or reductions desired to be made at each heat.

I claim- 1. In an automatic sheet-metal-rolling mill, thecombination with the rolls, feed-tables and feed-screws for setting the rolls closer together, of a pair of involute gears for turning the feed-screws by diminishingincrements .after each reduction or pass of the metal between the rolls to set them for the next pass, substantially as specified. 2. In an automatic sheet-metal-rollingmill, the combination with the rolls, feed-tables and'feed-screws for setting the rolls closer together, of a pair of involute gears for turning the feed-screws by diminishing increments after each reduction or pass of the metal between the rolls to set them for the next pass, and means for automatically turning the shaft of one of said intermeshing involute gears after each successive pass, substantially as specied. p

3. In an automatic sheet-metal-rolling mill, the combination with the rolls of a pair of feedscrews, one Aat each end ofthe rolls, geared together for setting the rolls together, and involute gears for turning the feed-screws by di-` minishing increments after successive passes, substantially as specified.

4t. The combination with the rolls, feedscrews Aand feed-tables, of a driving pulleyV or shaft for the feed-screws, a clutch and connecting-gearing for communicating motion to said feed-screws, mechanism for automatically operating said clutch at each reversal of the mill, said` connecting-gearing having a pair of involute gears to cause the feed-screws to be turned a less and less extent at each successive turn, substantially as specied.

` 5. The combination with. the rolls, feedscrews and feed-tables, of a driving pulley or shaft for the feed-screws, a clutch and con- ICO IIO

necting-gearing for communicating motion to said feed-screws, mechanism for automatically operating said clutch at each reversal of the mill, said connecting-gearing having a pair of involute gears to cause the feed-screws to be turned a less and less extent at each successive turn, and mechanism for automatically running back the feed-screws after a predetermined number of passes have been made, substantially as specified.

G. The combination with the rolls and feedscrews for setting the rolls closer together, a driving pulley or shaft for the feed-screws, gearing connecting said driving pulley or shaft with the feed-screws, a clutch for connecting and disconnecting said gearing with said d rivinff-pulley, a friction cam or arm on the shaft or one of the rolls, and connecting mechanism between said cam or arm and the clutch for operating the clutch at each reversal of the motion of the rolls, said connectin g-gearingbetwecn the feed-screws and their driving pulley or shaft having a pair of involute gears to cause the feed-screws to be turned a diminishing amount, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with the rolls and feedscrews for setting the rolls closer together, a driving pulley or shaft for the feed-screws, gearing connecting said driving pulley or shaft with the feed-screws, a clutch for connect-ing and disconnecting said gearing with said driving-pulley, a friction cam or arm on the shaft of one of the rolls, and connecting mechanism between said cam or arm and the clutch for operating the clutch at each reversal of the motion ofthe rolls,said connecting-gearing between the feed-screws and their driving pulley or shaft having a pair of involute gears to cause the feed-screws to be turned a diminishing amount, and mechanism for automaticallyrunning back or returning the feed-screws to position after a predetermined number of passes have been made, substantially as specified.

8. In a sheet-metal-rolling mill, the combination with the feed-table and rolls, of movable gages at the opposite edges of the feedtable for automatically truing and centering the bars or sheets on the feed-table, and mechanism for automatically opening and closing the gages at each reversal of the motion of the mill comprising a rack and gear, connecting links and levers, and a friction-arm on the shaft of one of the rolls, substantially as specified.

9. In a sheet-metal-rolling mill, the combination with the feed-table and rolls, of movable gages at the opposite edges of the feedtable for automatically truing and centering the bars or sheets on the feed-table,and mechanism for automatically opening and closing the gages at each reversal of the motion of the mill, said mechanism consisting in a friction cam or arm and connections connecting said friction cam or arm with said movable gages, substantially as specified.

l0. The combination with the rolls, feedtable and centering-gages and the engineshaft of a jack or mechanism for reversing the direction of rotation of the rolls comprising two gears fixed to the engine-shaft one of which meshes directly with a loose gear on the roll-shaft, the other meshing with a gear on a counter-shaft which meshes with a second loose gear on the roll-shaft and a clutch upon the roll-shaft to engage either of the loose gears on that shaft at the will of the workman in charge, the feed-screws, and mechanism for automatically turning the feed-screws at each reversal of the direction of rotation of the rolls to set or adjust the rolls for the next succeeding pass, substantially as specified.

11. The combination with the rolls and feedscrews, each havinga squared end, of a Wormgear fiitting on the squared end of the feedscrew, a gear loose on the hub of the worm for communicating motion to the feed-screw, and a worm journaled on said gear and engaging said worm-gear, substantially as speci- JOHN G. HODGSON.

lVitnesses:

1I. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADcocK. 

